Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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I’ve spent the last day and a half on a different floor with our tech team. I really wasn’t needed there, but after Monday, I had to step back and clear my head.
Jayne has this irritatingly delicious way of willingly walking into danger she is oblivious to, and I am surprised no one took complete advantage of her good nature before we found her.
I’m sitting with Declan as he catches me up on the last couple of days. He has just finished filling me in on Saturday’s family gathering when his phone rings. It’s our lunch meeting with Jayne, and I’m looking forward to getting back to work with her.
Well, I’m mostly looking forward to being near her again.
The door swings open, and Jayne walks in with her notepad and pen in hand. Following her is a woman who looks way too happy to not be on drugs.
“This is my friend, Tina. She owns the deli I was telling you about yesterday, Declan.” She motions to her friend, and a brief jealousy surges inside of me. Declan has been here talking to her over the last couple of days, and I missed it.
I missed her.
Jayne steps further into the room and heads for a seat at the desk. “Tina, this is Declan and Lucas Hale.” We both stand briefly to greet her as she approaches.
“It’s nice to meet you both.” She’s friendly enough, and she continues talking, but I’ve shifted my attention back to Jayne.
I can look at her a little more freely now, as she is focused on her girlfriend. She relaxes in her presence. I notice because her shoulders loosen up. I wonder how long it will take her to relax like this around us. I look over and notice Declan taking this distracted opportunity to admire Jayne as well.
Jayne is talking about Tina’s deli and some kind of salad she can’t get enough of, and as I look over at Tina I notice she is staring at Declan and I intently, wearing a look that tells me she just caught both of us ogling her friend.
Tina looks into her bag, then back up at Jayne. “Oh no. I forgot the cutlery. We were so busy in the kitchen today, Jayne, do you have any here you can use?”
With a big smile, Jayne jumps up and offers to run to the small kitchen to grab enough for all of us.
After she is out of the room, Tina turns to us with a mischievous smile. “Thank you for giving our deli a try. You know, Jayne talked a lot about the both of you this past weekend.”
Now she has my full attention.
She talked about us.
Not Jayne talked about the company. Not Jayne says she likes working here.
9:40 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 15
She talked about us.
¢77)
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Our little Jayne has been thinking about us away from the office, and whatever it is, it’s something she needed to share with her friends.
“I’m sure it was all good things.” Declan is trying to sound as aloof as possible, but I can tell he wants to ask for a detailed account of what flowed from Jayne’s beautiful mouth about the two of us.
“I’m sure.” Tina matches his casual tone, challenging him, and Declan’s jaw tenses at her denial to give him any more information.
Declan and Tina stare each other down in a cordial–but–silent standoff that has now put him on edge.
Hell, all of me is tense right now.
What I wouldn’t give to have the upper hand of knowing her thoughts, objections, and desires. I can think of so many ways I would use that information both against her and for her own good.
Declan seems to be thinking the same thing. His eyes narrow on Tina. His resolve is beginning to crumble as his composed exterior starts to crack. Declan leans forward, and his voice comes out in a panicked strain that shocks us both. “What did she-”
“I’ve got them.” Jayne walks back into the room waving the cutlery, and Declan retreats back into his seat to compose himself.
Tina turns to Jayne and sets the bag down on Declan’s desk. She is suppressing a different kind of smile now as she turns to say her goodbyes. I know that look. Tina’s expression says she knows something Jayne doesn’t
know. Yet.
The girls say their goodbyes quickly. After a hug from Jayne, Tina is out the door, and Jayne is opening the bag and handing out orders.
Jayne starts talking about the charity gala before we even tell her about it. She’s done her homework, and her enthusiasm resets the both of us.
Her smile reaches across her face, and her eyes are almost sparkling as she talks about the charity, the event, and a few possible ideas for this year’s venue. You can’t fake that type of sincerity.
I want all of her to ourselves. Claiming her heart, her generous heart, is just as important as owning every other part of her.
The thought of her surrender is consuming. All of my thoughts are on Friday night, when we’ll begin to pull
her in.
And it can’t come soon enough, since everything will change on Saturday afternoon when we face her at
Howard’s.
This weekend will be a turning point, but I’m not sure if we’ll all be going in the same direction after everything is said and done.
